Tuesday 10 November 2015

Baked Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Asparagus, 5 ProPoints, Serves 1


Ingredients 
4 Asparagus Spears
1 Egg
25g Smoked Salmon
4 Sprays of Low Cal Spray oil
Salt and Pepper

Method 

Heat the oven to 200 degrees

Cut the woody ends of the asparagus spears and put in a ceramic oven proof dish, spray with oil and season with pepper

Bake in the oven for about 5 mins, until becoming tender. Remove from the oven and crack the egg in the dish and place in the oven for approx 5 mins, until the whites have set and the yolk is paling.

Serve with 25g Smoked Salmon and a wedge of lemon

Wholemeal Tortilla Wraps - 3 ProPoints, Serves 16



Ingredients 

4 cup of wholemeal flour
1 cup warm water
1/4 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

Method 
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together in a bowl
Gradually add the warm water until it all comes together in a soft dough
Split the dough into 16 pieces, cover and allow to rest for 20 mins
Roll the balls out into thin discs and cook on a dry frying pan until the top side begins to bubble, turn and repeat the process on the other side

Creamy Orzo with King Prawns - 8 ProPoints, Serves 1


Ingredients 

50g Orzo
8 King Prawns, raw and peeled
1 scallion, thinly sliced
50g Quark
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp orgeano
Salt & Pepper
4 Sprays Low Cal Spray Oil

Method

Cook the Orzo in accordance with the instructions on the packet
Spray a pan with the oil and put on a medium heat. Add the prawns and cook until just turning pink
Add the scallions and the garlic and cook for 1 minute
Add the Quark and stir until melted, used some of the cooking water from the orzo to loosen it out
Add the herbs and seasonings and toss the orzo in the sauce
Serve immediately

Wednesday 4 November 2015

Pizza Boats - Serves 2 - 4 ProPoints each


This is not really a recipe! More an assembly!

Ingredients 

2 Old El Paso Standing Tacos
2 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tsp basil
2 tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
Salt and Pepper
1 Scallion, snipped and divided between both boats
60g Aldi Light Mozzarella Cheese, cut into chunks

Method:


  1. Mix 1/2 tsp of basil and a pinch of pepper, spread over the bottom of the boat 
  2. Add the diced tomatoes, snipped scallion and top with the cheese and season with salt and pepper and the remainder of the basil 
  3. Bake for 15-20 mins in an oven at 180 degrees Celsius 

Tuesday 3 November 2015

Skinny Beef Lasagne - 7 PropPoints per Serving; Serves 3


This is adapted from The Hairy Bikers Diet Cook Book

I left out the stock, wine and flour in the meat sauce and you wouldn't even notice!

This is a time consuming creation but I think worth your while.

Ingredients 
1 large leek
1 medium onion
1 medium carrot, grated
300g lean mince beef
1 garlic clove peeled and crushed
400g tinned tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
2 bay leafs
142ml skimmed milk
2 tbsp corn flour
50g low fat chddar cheese, grated
Salt and Pepper

Method:


  1. Trim the leeks till they fit the dish you are using.  Cut them length ways through to the middle and open them out into 'sheets'.  Take the inner leaves from the center and finely chop them.  When you have separated the larger leaves, which will be your 'lasagne' sheets. Finely chop half the onion and cut the other half into wedges 
  2. Cook the mince beef in a non-stick frying pan until beginning to brown, then add the leeks and onions.  Cook for a further five mins, or until the mixture looks dry.  Add the carrots and cook for a further two mins, followed by the garlic, herbs, one bay leaf, tomato paste and tomatoes. Allow to simmer until the sauce thickens. 
  3. While the mince is cooking put the onion wedges, bay leaf and some pepper into a pan.  Mix two tablespoons of milk with the corn flour and add the remainder of the milk to the pan with the onions.  Allow to simmer gently for a couple of mins and then remove from the heat and allow it to infuse. 
  4. Half fill a pot with boiling water and put your 'lasagne' sheets in to blanch for about five mins, until tender.  Remove and run under cold water to stop the cooking process and lay out on a clean towel to dry. 
  5. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Remove the onion and bay leaf from the milk and mix in the cornflour mixture, stiring over a low heat until the sauce thickens.  Loosen with some water if necessary 
  6. Allow all the components to cool. Then assemble as you would a normal lasagne. 
  7. Bake for about 30 mins or until the cheese is golden and bubbling 

Sweet Potato Muffins - Serves 12 - 2 Propoints Per Serving

Did you know that the Sweet Potato contains no saturated fats or cholesterol, and is rich source of dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals than potatoes.  It is  packed with many essential vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine(vitamin B-6), and thiamin (vitamin B-1), niacin, and riboflavin. These vitamins are essential in the sense that the human body requires them from external sources to replenish. These vitamins function as co-factors for various enzymes during metabolism.

So with all this in mind, I decided to get on the interweb and see if I could find a Skinny Sweet Potato Muffin, and I think I have managed to locate a good recipe from Nutrition for Us 



Ingredients 
1 cup of cold mashed sweet potato 
1 cup of all purpose flour 
1 1/3 tsp baking powder 
Dash of Salt 
3/4 cup brown sugar 
1 egg 
2 1/2 tbsp softened butter 
1 tsp cinnamon 
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
1/3 cup applesauce 

For the apple sauce 
3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped 
2 tbsp lemon juice 
1 tbsp cold water 
pinch cinnamon 

Method 




  1. Firstly make the apple sauce by gently simmering the chopped apples, lemon juice, water and cinnamon until soft, then mash or blend and allow to cool 
  2. Beat the butter, applesauce, egg , vanilla and sweet potatoes together. Add sugar gradually, beating after each addition. In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. Gradually add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, beating after each addition, until batter is moistened. 
  3. Preheat oven to 180 Degrees C. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill each liner about 2/3 the way full with batter. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. Let cool slightly on a wire cooling rack.